


Midnight

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: What Remains [13]
Category: Actor RPF, Australian Actor RPF, Banshee (TV) RPF, British Actor RPF, New Zealand Actor RPF, The Walking Dead (TV), True Blood RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Walking Dead AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 10:18:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18009077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica
Summary: After the zombie apocalypse, survivors roam the UK, trying to find their families, other survivors they can trust and somewhere safe where they can actually allow hope for a future to flourish. In this chapter, Jess and Logan meet up in the middle of the night.Logan nods. "He's lucky he's got a group who accept his wanting to try and hold onto those ideals. Some might just think he's being unrealistic, or resent him taking the moral high ground." He takes a drink of water. "But no one in this groupwantsto be killing people."She props her chin in her hand and gazes at him steadily. "I do," she whispers, afraid of how he'll judge her.





	Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone familiar with the [RPG Citadel](http://citadel.dreamwidth.org/read), this is NOT backstory for any of our pups in the game. Also, we apologize in advance for any discrepancies regarding weapons and UK geography and slang/terminology. We did our best but I'm sure we've mucked up something.

When Jess wakes in the dark, the house is silent. But the crickets twitter faithfully on, assuring her that all is quiet outside as well, and that's the most important thing. She slips out of bed and makes her way to the bedroom door by feel, then picks her way softly down the steps to the kitchen where the light of the full moon shines in through a crack over the door. 

His mouth dry, Logan reaches for the bottle of water beside his bed only to find it empty. He sits up, rubbing his hands over face, checking his watch in the dark for the time, not that it matters, Antony still dead to the world across from him, the man the only one he's ever known who's even more of an early bird than him. He huffs out a breath, makes his way out of the room and downstairs in the dark, cursing softly, his teeth gritted in pain as he stubs his toe on the door stopper just outside the kitchen.

The litany of curses is unusually creative, and Jess can't help a smile. She tries to tamp it down before she whispers, "Are you okay? Did you break something?"

The voice comes as a surprise, as does the way his heart swells when he hears it. Jess. Grateful for the dim light, he whispers back, "I'm good. Just bruised." Maybe even sprained, but he's not one to complain. "Is there more water?"

"Yeah." Getting up from the rough plank table, she grabs a bottle from a crate and hands it to him before sitting back down with her own. "Can't you sleep?"

"Thanks. I was trying to," Logan admits, twisting the cap off. "That peach brandy left my mouth feeling like a desert."

"It was pretty vile," she agrees, ducking her head on a smile. "And also kind of the best stuff I've ever had." Flavored with the illusion of safety. And also... "This is a good group. I can't believe I've actually been laughing so much this past night."

Logan nods. "It's a really good group. We got lucky. No one's power tripping, everyone gets along, some more than others..." he adds with a laugh.

She giggles, thinking back to how many decibels Alex and Luke were hitting earlier. "Yeah. Um... Yeah. And now Keira," she exclaims, still grinning and beginning to blush. "That traitor. I thought we were going to... But now, no." She bites her lip. "I guess it's good. For everyone, I mean, as long as they don't all start fighting with each other or get jealous or something. Good for morale." 

Rough if we lose someone, Logan thinks, but he doesn't say it. Instead nodding again. "Are you still mad at Clive?"

A frown pulls at the corners of her mouth. "Yes," she says softly, "but I'm working on getting over it. He's a much better person than I am, and I actually respect that he's trying to hold onto these ideas of civilization which to me just seem outdated at this point. I mean, at least he's trying." Many - most? - aren't, she knows. "And... poor Eva. What she's going through right now...? I don't want to lose Clive."

Logan nods. "He's lucky he's got a group who accept his wanting to try and hold onto those ideals. Some might just think he's being unrealistic, or resent him taking the moral high ground." He takes a drink of water. "But no one in this group _wants_ to be killing people."

She props her chin in her hand and gazes at him steadily. "I do," she whispers, afraid of how he'll judge her.

"People in general, or bad people, people who want to hurt you?" Logan asks, suddenly wishing they had more of that peach brandy.

"No, not people in general, but... God. Anyone who looks at me funny, at this point," she answers, half-heartedly trying to make light of it. "I mean, yes, bad people."

Logan shakes his head. "That's different. That's self-preservation. You have to have that in this world, and even Clive does. Plus he's a guy. A big guy. We get to take those extra few minutes and try and de-escalate. Women don't get to do that. Not now. Not as far as I'm concerned. You think someone's going to hurt you, you shoot, worry about sorting things out later."

Jess smiles a little at that. And confesses wryly, "I can really only hit them when they're standing still, anyway."

"Then even more reason to get them while you can," Logan returns with a grin.

She laughs out loud, swiftly clapping a self-conscious hand over her mouth. How the hell is it he's able to make her laugh at a time - a topic - like this?

Logan grins, watching Jess. "God, you're beautiful," he says softly, the words slipping out, his face falling as he realizes what he's said. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that," he rushes on, shaking his head at himself.

A chill steals over her in an instant, stiffening her frame, but her face flushes hot. Her first instinct is to bolt, to get up and run like hell. But... but she _trusts_ Logan, she realizes, which is discomfiting enough on its own. "Thank you," she whispers, "for telling me that. I can't remember the last time I felt beautiful."

"Well, you are," Logan says quietly, relieved when she doesn't run. Or punch him. "I just don't want to be the creep putting a move on you or making you feel uncomfortable. I'm here as a friend, I promise, and I know you've been through way too much for me to add to it."

She bites her lip, shame burning hot now. "Yeah. I'm going to try and get some sleep," she says, her chair scraping softly over worn linoleum when she gets to her feet. "Sweet dreams, Logan." If only such things were so easily given.

"You too, Jess," he says, wondering if he just made things worse.

Try though she does to walk away, Jess simply doesn't get very far. After a few steps she turns back and follows the moonlight, pausing by Logan's chair. She bends down and awkwardly hugs him.

The embrace shocks him to his core but Logan responds anyway. Wraps an arm around Jess, hugging her in close, room still left for her to escape if she needs it. He tilts his head back, wishing he dared to kiss her, but he knows one wrong move will be the end of any possibility between them.

It feels good, that strong arm inviting but not demanding. Jess inhales deeply, breathing in Logan's scent before she straightens up, steps back. And slips quietly into the darkness.


End file.
